FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art wireless network 100. The network 100 includes one or more devices 102 and 104. A device (e.g., a mobile phone, a portable computer) includes the ability to communicate through one or more wired or wireless networks with other devices. Companies or organizations that provide wireless and/or wired communication services to devices are termed “network operators” (e.g., 106 and 110). Communication links are established between base stations operated by network operators and devices via protocols such as Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) which allow for the exchange of voice and data with other devices.
The network operators 106 and 110 can communicate through one or more wired or wireless networks 108 which allow the devices 102 and 104 to exchange messages. For example, the device 102 can send a message to the device 104 by way of the network operator 106. The network operator 106 can examine the message to determine the destination device 104 and then determine a destination network operator that is capable of delivering the message to the device 104 (e.g., network operator 110). The network operator 106 then forwards the message through the one or more networks 108 to the destination network operator 110 which in turns delivers the message to the device 104. Likewise, messages from the device 104 to the device 102 can be sent in a similar fashion.
Sometimes it is desirable to determine the location of a device, and hence the location of a user of that device. By way of illustration, if an application running on the device 102 seeks to determine the location of the device 104, the device 102 can send a location request message to the device 104 as described above. The device 104 or the network operator 110 can reply with a message containing the location of the device 104.
Typically, difficulties can arise with the message exchange if network operators do not use compatible message formats. Conflicts in message formats may result in, for instance, delayed or garbled messages (e.g., delayed or garbled location messages). Moreover, each network operator may use its own proprietary privacy rules for determining when to grant a request for location information. Incompatible privacy rules may result in users from one network not being able to locate users on a different network. Furthermore, network operators commonly do not share location information with third parties in order to protect the privacy of their customers.
Applications which handle location information, such as smart-phone applications or instant messaging applications, may encounter similar issues. Privacy is typically handled in one of two ways by conventional applications: blanket permission is given to requests for location information or applications are configured to ask the user every time the user's location is requested. Each of these methods has drawbacks; blanket permission may result in providing location information to undesirable parties while ‘ask me’ type permissions may result in excessive interruptions.